Simple acknowledgment boosts repeat customer participation in take-back programs

Companies may only need to send an acknowledgment message to boost repeat customer participation in recycling and reuse programs for used goods like laptops and coffee pods, according to a new study led by Penn State researchers. The idea for the study arose over a cup of coffee—more specifically, the single-use pod used to make the coffee. Over a series of experiments, the researchers found that a simple "we received your item" email was all it took to encourage less-engaged customers to become repeat recyclers and to raise the company's sustainability profile.